Portable tufting machine



Jan. 18, 1966 o. J. ROBERTS ETAL 3,229,653

PORTABLE TUFTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1966 o. J. ROBERTS ETAL 3,

PORTABLE TUFTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,229,653 PORTABLE TUFTlNG MACHINE Ormond J. Roberts, Rome, and Connie Waliace Underwood, Summerville, Ga., assignors to Bigelow-Sanford, Inc., Thompsonville, C0nn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 337,811 Claims. (Cl. 11280) The present invention relates to a hand carried and hand guided portable tufting machine of the kind employed for inserting yarns into a backing fabric to produce tufted fabrics.

Hand held and guided single-needle tufting machines, such for example as that shown in the Gifford Patent No. 2,837,045, are employed in mending machine-made tufted fabrics, among other uses. In the manufacture of such fabrics by tufting machines employing a bank of reciprocating yarn-carrying needles, from time to time, for one reason or another, a pile yarn will go awry and result in an omission of loops in the row corresponding to that yarn for a distance which varies according to the nature of the mishap. The fabric then has to be mended and this most conveniently is done by hand, for example by using such a hand guided single-needle tufting machine. When the fabric is one in which the yarns are sewed along straight or substantially straight lines, the hand guided tufting machines heretofore known have been very satisfactory. Such heretofore known tufting machines have not been satisfactory, however, for mending fabrics in which the tufts are sewed along rapid Zigzag lines, for example the fabrics disclosed in the Parlin and Gallagher application, Serial No. 288,039, filed June 14, 1963, now Patent No. 3,203,388 dated August 31, 1965, assigned to the same assignee as is the present application. Such tufting machines must be guided along the course of the line of loops and when this line is a rapid zigzag, instead of a straight line or a gradual curve or zigzag, it becomes very difficult for the operator to fol-low the course of an end of yarn for mending purposes, especially in cases when the yarn position moves One course to the side on one stroke and back on the next. It has been found that the path of the hand guided machine in many cases could not be directed in a zigzag pattern without causing the spiked feed rollers, which advance the tufting machine with respect to the cloth, to pull yarn from the backing when the direction of travel is changed.

An object of the invention is to provide a hand held and guided tufting machine which is free from the disadvantages described above.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand held and guided tufting machine wherein the tufting needle may be readily guided along a curved or zigzag course without damaging the existing yarns and backing fabric.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a hand held and guided tufting machine wherein the tufting needle may be guided along a curved or zigzag path While the spiked feed rollers move along a substantially straight path.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a hand guided tufting machine wherein the path of movement of the tufting needle may be quickly changed in direction by the operator with great exactness without need to alter the course of the spiked feed rollers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a tufting machine wherein the tufting needle may be moved laterally of the path of the spiked feed rollers 3,229,653 Patented Jan. 18, 1966 by appropriate movement of a handle under continuous accurate control by the operator.

In accordance with the invention, we provide a hand carried and hand guided portable tufting machine having a conventional body portion which includes a tufting needle which is reciprocable in and out of the fabric, together with means for reciprocating the needle and for intermittently feeding yarn to the needle in timed relation with the needle movements, wherein there is provided a frame member carrying the feed roller or rollers, which are driven as usual from the body portion, said frame member being pivoted on the body portion for movement laterally of the needle under the control of a movable handle member which interconnects the frame member and the body portion so that its movement causes relative movement therebetween. In the preferred embodiment, the frame member includes a block having an elongated opening loosely receiving the needle guide, an arm fixed to the block and pivoted on the body portion, and a handle member having a shaft journaled in the arm and carrying a fork engaging between its arms a pin fixed on the body portion, the shaft being rotatable by a handle extending laterally from the shaft in position to be continuously held by the operator as he supports and guides the tufting machine and to be operated by the operator to direct the needle into the desired positions on the backing fabric.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, in which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein,

FIG. 1 is a plan view;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view 'of the needle end of the machine, taken on line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 4; and partly broken away;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing details of construction of the needle control mechanism;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the manner in which the tufting needle may be controlled to insert loops laterally of the normal course corresponding to the path of travel of the spiked feed rollers.

Referring now to the drawing, the illustrative embodiment comprises in general organization, a body portion including a housing 2, a pistol grip 3, a needle guide 4, a needle 6 reciprocable in the needle guide, conventional means (not shown) within the housing 2 for reciprocating the needle, and yarn feed rollers 8 driven in timed relation with the needle reciprocations for intermittently feeding yarn to the needle. Means within the housing 2, also conventional and not shown, is provided for reciprocating the shaft 10 in timed relation with the needle reciprocations, which shaft through a link 12, which loosely engages a pin on arm 14, rocks the arm 14 to intermittently rotate the spiked feed rollers 16 through a one way clutch 18. In operation the feed rollers 16 ride along the surface of the fabric and advance the machine in timed relation with the needle reciprocations. As so far described, the illustrative embodiment is identical with the tufting machine disclosed in the Gifford Patent No. 2,837,045, to which reference may be had for a more complete description of the details of construction, heretofore outlined.

The tufting machine so far described is driven from an external power source connected to a power input shaft 20 to cause the needle to be reciprocated, yarn to be intermittently fed to the needle and the arm 14 intermittently rocked back and forth to impart a step-by-step motion to the spiked feed rollers 16. The machine is held in the hand and placed in contact with the fabric so that the feed rollers 16 run on its surface, the needle 6 being inserted and withdrawn from the fabric to insert loops of the yarn therein. The feed rollers 16 dwell during the insertion and withdrawal of the needle and then rotate one step to advance the machine into position for the next needle insertion. For most purposes, the feed rollers 16 are advanced along a line and the needle 6 correspondingly sews a line of loops. The machine may be guided along curved lines, to sew curved lines of stitches, but as the curvature increases the spiked feed rollers tend more to disrupt the adjoining lines of loops already present in the fabric and this action becomes particularly objectionable if the machine must be swung first to one side to insert a loop and then to the other side to insert the succeeding loop to form the loops along a rapid zigzag instead of a straight or gradual zigzag line, as the path of the spiked feed rollers cannot be abruptly changed without risk of pulling yarn from the backing.

In the illustrative embodiment, the feed rollers 16 are carried on a shaft 22 which is journaled in a block 24. The block 24 is provided with an elongated opening 26 extending through the block and having its greater dimension extending transversely of the needle guide 4 generally in the direction of the shaft 22. The block 24 is positioned so that the needle guide 4 is received in the opening 26 and the block is mounted on the housing 2 for pivotal movement thereon by means of an arm 28 fixed to the block by being bolted to the projection 30 thereon and having its rearward end pivoted on a machine screw 32 threaded into the housing 2. Desirably a washer 34 is interposed between the arm 28 and the housing 2. The arm 28 and with it the block 24 and the feed rollers 16 may be oscillated with respect to the housing 2 by means of a handle member comprising a shaft 36 journalled in an opening 38 in the arm 28 for free rotation with respect to the arm. At the upper end of the shaft a fork 40 is rigidly secured to the shaft. Between its forwardly extending arms 42, the fork 40 engages pin 44 fixed in the lower side of the needle guide 4. At its lower end, the shaft 36 is turned at approximately a right angle and carries on its free end a handle 46. Thus, when the handle 46 is moved forwardly or rearwardly, rotating the shaft 36, the needle guide 4 is moved transversely of the frame member comprising the block 24, arm 28, shaft 36 and fork 40, the elongated shape of the opening 26 permitting such movement. Adjustable stop screws 48 are provided at each end of the opening 26 to limit the sidewise movement of the needle.

The operation of the device will it is believed be largely apparent from the foregoing description of its construction. The operator supports the machine by grasping the pistol grip 3 in one hand and the handle 46 in the other, placing the spiked feed rollers 16 in contact with the fabric into which the pile loops are to be inserted. The needle 6 reciprocates to insert the loops, yarn is fed by the feed rollers 8 from a suitable source of supply in step with the movements of the needle 6, and the feed rollers 16 are intermittently rotated step-by-step to advance the machine into position for successive needle insertions. The operator continuously controls the lateral position of the needle with respect to the feed rollers 16 by appropriate movement of the handle 46.

The construction of the invention affords close and accurate control of the position along the course of move ment of the machine into which each loop is inserted into the backing and permits a rapid change in the lateral disposition of successive stitches, under the continuous control of the handle 46. Thus fabrics in which the loops are sewn along rapid zigzag lines, as in said application Serial No. 288,039, can conveniently be mended by use of the illustrative apparatus, the line of loops inserted by the apparatus in the course of men-ding being disposed as desired by the operator and in close agreement with the directions of the other lines of stitching which were sewn into the fabric during its initial production on a multineedle tufting machine.

We claim:

1. A hand carried and hand guided portable tufting machine comprising a body portion including a reciprocable tufting needle, first means for reciprocating said needle, second means for feeding yarn to said needle, 21 frame member pivoted on said body portion, a feed roller journaled on said frame member, and adapted to contact a backing to move the machine relative thereto, third means for rotating said feed roller, and a handle member interconnecting said frame member and said body portion and movable to cause relative movement therebetween laterally of the path of movement of the machine.

2. A hand carried and hand guided portable tufting apparatus comprising a body portion including a needle guide, a tufting needle reciprocable in said guide, first means for reciprocating said needle, second means for feeding yarn thereto, a frame member pivoted on said body portion and having an elongated opening loosely receiving said needle guide, a pair of feed rollers journaled on said frame member and adapted to contact a backing to move the machine relative thereto, third means on said body portion for intermittently rotating said feed rollers, and a handle member journaled in said frame member and slidably engaging said body portion for moving said needle guide laterally with respect to the path of movement of said feed rollers. I

3. A hand carried and hand guided portable tufting machine comprising a body portion including a needle guide, a tufting needle reciprocable in said guide, first means for reciprocating said needle, second means for feeding yarn to said needle, a frame member having an elongated opening loosely receiving said needle guide and an arm pivoted on said body portion, a pair of feed rollers journaled on said frame member for bodily movement therewith, and adapted to contact a backing to move the machine relative thereto, third means for rotating said feed rollers, a handle member journaled in said arm and having a laterally extending handle and a fork, and a pin fixed on said body portion, said fork slidably engaging said pin for causing relative movement of said frame member and said body portion laterally of the path of movement of said feed rollers.

4. A hand carried and hand guided portable tufting machine comprising a body portion including a needle guide, a tufting needle reciprocable in said guide, first means for reciprocating said needle, second means for feeding yarn to said needle, a frame member including a block having an elongated opening loosely receiving said needle guide and an arm connected to the block and pivoted on said body portion, a pair of spiked feed rollers journaled on said block for bodily movement therewith, and adapted to contact a backing to move the machine relative thereto, third means for rotating said feed rollers, and a handle member having a shaft journaled in said arm, a fork fixed on said shaft, a pin fixed on said body portion, said fork slidably engaging said pin, and a handle extending laterally from said shaft, whereby movement of said handle causes relative movement of said frame member and said body portion laterally of the path of movement of said feed rollers.

5. A hand carried and hand guided portable tufting machine comprising a body portion including a needle guide, a tufting needle reciprocable in said guide, first means for reciprocating said needle, second means for intermittently feeding yarn to said needle, a frame member including a block having an elongated opening loosely receiving said needle guide and an arm fixed to the block and pivoted on said body portion, a pair of spiked feed rollers journaled on said block for rotation thereon and 5 6 bodily movement therewith, third means on said body References Cited by the Examiner portion for intermittently rotating said feed rollers in UNITED STATES PATENTS time relation with fee ing movements of said yarn, a handle member having a shaft journaled in 'said arm, a 210771719 4/1937 Solhday 112-80 fork fixed on said shaft, 21 pin fixed on said body portion, 5 25531211 5/1951 Rfnhenborg 112' 158 said fork slidably engaging said pin, and a handle extend- 2837045 6/1958 Glfiord 112 80 ing laterally from said shaft, whereby the operator by 311091395 11/1963 Batty 112 79 appropriate movement of said handle may direct the needle along a path ditferent from the path of the feed JORDAN FRANKLIN Prmmry Exammer' rollers. 10 M. J. COLITZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HAND CARRIED AND HAND GUIDED PORTABLE TUFTING MACHINE COMPRISING A BODY PORTION INCLUDING A RECIPROCABLE TUFTING NEEDLE, FIRST MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID NEEDLE, SECOND MEANS FOR FEEDING YARN TO SAID NEEDLE, A FRAME MEBER PIVOTED ON SAID BODY PROTION, A FEED ROLLER JOURNALED ON SAID FRAME MEMBER, AND ADAPTED TO CONTACT A BACKING TO MOVE THE MACHINE RELATIVE THERETO, THIRD MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID FEED ROLLER, AND A HANDLE MEMBER INTERCONNECTING SAID FRAME MEMBER AND SAID BODY PORTION AND MOVABLE TO CAUSE RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN LATERALLY OF THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE MACHINE. 